Why
by Evanescent Samurai
Summary: Inspired by the short story “In the Summer, Part 1,” Kio tells the story of his relationship with ‘Souchan,’ beginning with their first year of college to Volume Two of Loveless.
1. Prologue, Chapter 1

**A/N: This story was based off Kio's thoughts in the short story at the end of "Loveless, vol. 2." I don't think much is known about the early years of Kio and Soubi's friendship, so this is an experiment. If you like it, let me know, and I will put up the other chapters.**

Prologue:

He's tall, blond, and handsome. He's a college student who studies art. _And_, he has better things to do than to hang out with _sixth-graders_ all day.

"Sou-chan," I say, "I think it's illegal to stalk grade-schoolers." Soubi turns and gives me the same calm smile. Every time he looks at me like that, a memory reappears.

I haven't known Sou-chan for very long. We met in our first year of college. He was the same as he is now. He smiled, laughed, and painted the same. But, there was a time when I thought I was going to lose him to the person I hated most.

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Chapter 1:

I remember his face from that day. I think I had just turned twenty, and he was still eighteen. I could tell he was fresh out of high school. How? Simple; he was _excited_ to attend college. He had longer hair then. And, he wore contacts more than glasses. In fact, I didn't know he wore glasses until later that week during art class. But, that's beside the point.

His looks, I admit, attracted me to him. Yes, I sound gay, but it is the truth.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Kio." When I greeted him, he gave me the first of his many smiles.

"Soubi," he replied, the smile spreading across his handsome face. Suddenly I grinned and jumped a little.

"How old are you?" Sou-chan gave me a funny look, and I nearly burst trying to contain my laughter.

"Eighteen years old," he said slowly. "But, I'm turning nineteen soon." I draped my arm across his shoulders.

"You're old!" I laughed. Sou-chan's face still had not dropped his confused expression. He was so damn entertaining! "Well, Sou-chan, it was great meeting you," I said. "I've got class, though, so I'll see ya!"

Now that I look back on our meeting, I think we sounded like elementary school students meeting for the first time. I think we could have said something a little more sophisticated like, 'Ohayo gozaimasu! I am Kaidou Kio-san,' and 'Pleased to meet you, Kaidou-san. I'm Agatsuma Soubi-san.'

But, Sou-chan didn't tell much about himself when we were together. I know I couldn't shut up, but that was to fill the void between us. He hardly talked at all, only replying to what I said when he felt he should. Such a polite little bastard. All the same, he's still my friend.

During the first few weeks of school, Soubi kept to himself. When I asked him about his private life, a rosy flush always rose to his cheeks. For months I thought he had a girlfriend. That explained his ears, or lack there of. He still talked to me, just not as much as I talked to him. I think I might have scared him. I mean, I did start getting excited when he told me his name. Finally, I couldn't handle not knowing anymore.

"Sou-chan, do you have a girlfriend?" Soubi gave me the funny look again. Several times before he looked at me the same way. But, this time he didn't turn back to his work and remain silent for the rest of the class. He started to laugh!

Sou-chan's laugh is very seductive. I probably would do anything with him if he laughed the way he does. After all, he has no ears, and I have no ears. No harm done, right?

"No," Soubi finally replied. "I don't have a girlfriend, Kio." Then, he turned back to his work, chuckling to himself every so often. I wonder what he thought when I asked him that. By laughing he had piqued my interest, though that probably wasn't his intention. Who was it that made Sou-chan smile? Who brought him to laugh in such a luring way? I answered these questions myself, and now I don't want to know anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As requested, here's the next chapter of 'Why.' Enjoy!**

Chapter 2:

Soubi had left me puzzled the week before. What I couldn't get over was that he laughed at me. Why couldn't I let it go? Perhaps I was jealous that someone besides myself had made my Sou-chan feel wanted. Looking back, I can't really remember why I was so curious.

I began to eavesdrop on Sou-chan's phone calls. The first I listened to was like any regular phone call. Once he set the phone down and returned to his canvas, I snuck toward his bag. Grabbing the phone, I slipped behind a tall easel supporting a canvas. When I was sure that Sou-chan wasn't watching, I checked the list of calls he'd had that day. Most of his calls were from the same number. Was Sou-chan lying when he said he didn't have a girlfriend?

I know what I did was childish. C'mon! I'm a young college student. Of course, I'm reckless.

Of course, Soubi knew what I was up to. Damn, how does he do it? For some weird reason, he can figure out what I'm thinking sometimes.

"Well, I've been found out," I sighed dramatically as Sou-chan put his phone away. "Forgive me, Sou-chan!" I could hear Soubi's groan as I threw myself at him, pretending to be ashamed of what I did. But, being in his arms wasn't at all what I expected, especially since he was trying to breath beneath my embrace. (I think I was squeezing him a _little_ too hard that time.)

"It's alright, Kio." Though strained, Sou-chan's words seemed to wash away whatever guilt I had, which was very little. It's all about dramatics.

I let go of him, and I must say, I put on quite a show.

"Oh, Sou-chan," I said, "who do you keep calling? A girl?" Soubi shook his head. I gasped, exaggerating every movement I made with my arms. "You pervert!" I cried, trying to sound like a woman who had her heart broken. (Believe me, it's hard to do when you're male.) "I'll bet you go to a Lolita complex all the time! Host clubs for men! Any place you can pick up a girl!"

"I'm not a pervert, Kio," Soubi mumbled. I think he was still pissed about not being able to breath. Suddenly, his phone began to ring. I dove for it, attempting to get it before Sou-chan. Unfortunately, Sou-chan is taller than I am, and therefore he has longer arms. He got the phone first. It turns out that he got an email. As he read it, he gasped, and then he smiled the same calm smile he's always had.

"What are you reading?" I asked, trying to sneak a peek over his shoulder. "You're creepy. Do you know that?" Sou-chan turned away from me, hiding the screen from my view.

"It's just an email, Kio." Just an email! If Sou-chan wouldn't let me see it, it was more than 'just an email'. What if Sou-chan didn't let me see it because he wanted to make me jealous? Ooh, Sou-chan. That's cold.

For the rest of class, Sou-chan kept his phone at his side. He would stare at it like he was waiting for it to ring and save his soul from damnation. Geez. It's just a phone. After the one email, Sou-chan didn't get anymore calls that evening. Even after he went to bed, I still couldn't sleep. I couldn't help but wonder who made Sou-chan happy. I wanted Sou-chan's phone.

He always left his phone on the charging dock in the kitchen. I was surprised how often he used it, because he usually had to recharge his phone after one day. He needs a new one. The one he has is ancient and huge. But, even if the phone is charging, I can still look at his emails. Ha! Who's the clever one now? It took me some time to find the email from this afternoon. I scrolled through a lot of them, all from the same number. He was lying to me! He totally had a girlfriend who always emailed him and did kinky things with him.

I dropped the girlfriend idea after I found Sou-chan's email he received this afternoon.

_Soubi- tomorrow morning at the park. Call me when you get there._

_-Seimei_

Seimei? But, Seimei's a guy name. There had to be a picture or something that went with this 'Seimei' guy's number. I probably would have torn Sou-chan's phone apart trying to find a picture. I probably would have jumped into bed with Sou-chan and yelled at him for cheating on me if he hadn't woken up to have a late-night smoke.

"Kio," he said, "put my phone away." Damn, how'd he figure it out? I was silent during my mission, and Sou-chan sleeps harder than a rock.

"Goodnight, Sou-chan," I cooed. After he had gone back to sleep, I slipped into my own room. Then, I decided that if Sou-chan wasn't seeing a girl, he had to be gay.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Since I have finished the final chapter of 'Why,' I will start posting the chapters weekly. Thank you for your reviews! Please leave more so I can know what to fix. Gokigenyou!**

Chapter 3:

"Kio, you want a beer?"

I gladly took hold of the can Sou-chan offered to me, and I took a long sip. Thank god it was his turn to provide food for our first-ever official 'Midnight Cram Session!' and not me. With a beer on each side, I was set for the long hours of painting forgotten assignments. Sou-chan had stuff to catch up on, too.

All the food he brought was different from what I usually had for my solo cram sessions. I knew that Sou-chan was a good chef and really into health food. _So_, why did he bring a bunch of cotton candy and sweets? He told me the sugar was supposed to keep us vigil so we wouldn't fall asleep. I thought he was an expert on food, because I fell asleep around three o'clock in the morning after several rounds of beer and sweets.

Before I passed out from the soothing mixture of liquor and sugar, we had a visitor. I could tell Sou-chan knew this guy and forgot to tell me that _he_ was coming. Although, it seemed weird that Sou-chan's guest still had his ears at his age. I mean, by the time someone enters his final years of senior high, he's already lost his ears. But, I will never forget the name of the man who stole Sou-chan from me: Aoyagi Seimei.

Damn that Aoyagi! I couldn't believe him. He and Sou-chan acted not as friends, but as something more. They were almost like servant and master. Whatever _Seimei _said, Soubi agreed with. Whatever _Seimei_ ordered, Soubi obeyed. It was like watching a big, blonde dog drooling at his master's feet, waiting for him to throw the squeaky red ball. It was actually kind of disturbing.

Seimei and Sou-chan talked a lot. But, when they talked, it seemed like they were talking about nothing. Whatever it was—the weather, school, stocks (Why they would talk about stocks I couldn't figure out)— they could talk for at least an hour about it. By the time Sou-chan had finished two assignments, I was nearly finished. I listened to Sou-chan's conversations with Seimei, but I tried to ignore them at the same time.

After that night, I didn't see much of Aoyagi Seimei. Sou-chan seemed happy, and I wasn't going to disturb that—yet. I must have concocted all types of plans to get rid of Seimei, but I never tried any of them. Sou-chan, though allied with that damn Aoyagi, was still my friend. I think I still have the plans to get rid of Seimei, and some are really outrageous.

Ah, yes. One of the first I created was a shock collar that kept Seimei away from Sou-chan. If he came within twenty feet of Sou-chan, he would receive a painful shock that ran through his neck. But, when Sou-chan found that idea, he wouldn't speak to me for a few days. So, to ease my depression, I began a new hobby: piercing myself.

Sou-chan hardly paid attention to my piercing. He still visited with Seimei, sometimes crashing at his place. Sou-chan was happier than I had ever seen him, but I was like third wheel to him by the time I gave myself a third piercing. Not long after I got my fourth piercing, Sou-chan came to me one day dressed in all black, which didn't seem out of the ordinary. What did seem weird, though, was the fact that he had dark circles under his eyes and he looked like a ghost.

"Sou-chan?" I asked him quietly. "What's the matter?" He held a rolled newspaper in his left hand. The creases in it were deep. He had probably held it for an hour or so. He handed it to me, unrolling it slowly. "What's on the front page?" I asked, trying to make Sou-chan laugh his seducing laugh. But, he did not laugh; he didn't even smile. "Lighten up, Sou-chan," I grinned, not even bothering to look at the front page. Sou-chan nodded toward the paper, and I figured he _wanted_ me to read it.

I shouldn't have listened.

On the front page there was a large headline in bold letters: "**Tragedy! The Shocked Classroom!**" I scanned the article, searching for the name of the victim. There it was, printed in black ink. There was the name 'Aoyagi Seimei, age 17.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I hardly saw Sou-chan after Seimei's death. He stayed in our apartment for weeks, refusing to come out. After he missed class for six days, I decided that he needed the care of Nurse Kio! Okay, so I'm embellishing. Truth be told, Sou-chan looked like a zombie when I saw him after Seimei's murder.

His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. He smelled like he hadn't bathed for a couple days, but it wasn't too bad. His hair remained a tangled mess, but it still shone. (How does he manage to keep it that shiny!) When he did talk, his words tumbled out like gibberish. Like I said, he was a zombie.

"Sou-chan," I smiled, trying to rid his room of the grim aura hanging above his head, "I made you something to eat." Sou-chan sat up. I guess he did it out of curiosity. Although, the dumplings I brought smelled good. Thank god for instant cooking shows.

"Kio," he mumbled. His eyes were red, probably from crying. But, Sou-chan didn't seem like one to cry, even if someone died. Maybe he hadn't slept well for a while. I offered him a little food, but he didn't take any. I set the plate aside and sat with him on his bed. It was more comfortable than mine! How'd I end up with the rock-hard mattress?

"Maybe you should go to Seimei's funeral," I suggested. "Get to know his family a little more." Sou-chan nodded, but I knew that he wasn't listening. Seimei's funeral was held a few weeks after, and Sou-chan still hadn't left his room.

This routine went on for almost two years. I think I was drunk the entire time, because when I reflect on it now, I don't sound like my usual Kio-self.

After a while, though, I could coax him out of his room to go to the park or to go to class. He looked better than he had at first. He finally combed his hair and washed his face. No one could tell he had been grieving for so long. Of course, a female student _with no ears_ was out of school while Sou-chan, who _also_ _has no ears_, was absent, so a lot of people assumed the worst. What a bunch of perverts.

Sou-chan hardly painted anything after Seimei died. His canvases crowded less and less space in our apartment. Only my art took the space on the wall by the front door. Sou-chan, who is a really good chef and a health nut sometimes, ate nothing but instant foods and candy. Sometimes he ate so little or so much that I'd hear him at night in the bathroom, throwing up whatever food he had eaten earlier. A couple times I'd find myself sitting beside him all night, just talking to him until he fell asleep or puked again. My poor Sou-chan…

About six months after Seimei died, I bought a couple new ink sticks and paintbrushes for Sou-chan. He needed to get to painting again. There was an exhibition coming up that the professor wanted Sou-chan to show his art in. But, Sou-chan hadn't painted anything new for six months! I thought if he had a few new supplies, he would have been inspired to paint up a storm of art to show. Sadly, my plan didn't work. Sou-chan didn't enter the exhibition, and the professor chewed him out for it.

"You promised me, Soubi!" the professor scolded. "You had more than enough time. Why did you not submit at least one piece?" I pressed my ear against the professor's office door to listen for Sou-chan's answer. After a long silence, I finally heard him speak.

"I lost someone special," he said quietly. "It was unexpected. I'm sorry, sir." Who was this prick who took away my Sou-chan? Sou-chan never talked like that. He was like a zombie echoing words fed to him piece by piece.

"You've been falling behind, Soubi," the professor continued. "You aren't coming to class as often as you should, and one of your classmates has been covering for you the entire time." Hee, that was me. "If you don't show up tonight, I'm flunking you for the semester." Flunk! Sou-chan was his best student! He wouldn't ever think about flunking Sou-chan! I heard foot steps coming toward the door, and I quickly hopped out of the way. It was Sou-chan. He came back from the professor's scathing lecture, but he didn't appear to be happy. His face seemed hollow, like a stock mannequin's face. Thanks to the professor, though, Sou-chan actually came with me to class. He painted, but it wasn't his best. All his paintings seemed to be the same: a limp butterfly surrounded by a dull red aura, what appeared to be blood.

Two years had nearly passed since Soubi found out about Seimei's death.. I hadn't brought up the subject of visiting the Aoyagi family since I did the first time. I decided, since Sou-chan was feeling better, that it was time to get him out of his room again.

"You know, you could at least go visit Seimei's family," I said bluntly. Instead of frowning and growing sad at the mention of his dead happiness, Sou-chan smiled! He smiled a genuine smile for the first time in two years!

"Actually, I have to go to the elementary school," he said. "So, I won't be at class tonight."

That was the strangest thing I had ever heard Sou-chan say, at least then. What could he possibly want at the elementary school? There's nothing there but a bunch of kids! Damn, that means I have to cover for him again!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

I didn't see Sou-chan much after he said he was going to the school. Sure, he came to class, but not as often. He told me he got his schedule changed, so he only had to go a few nights out of the week. I couldn't figure out why he'd do that. From what I knew, Sou-chan loved to paint. Reducing his classes is like taking away his blood. (Okay, so I'm exaggerating…again.) But, one afternoon, he came to class…and he left his bag behind. He said he was going to the elementary school again. Something was definitely up.

After Sou-chan left, he was gone for a while. I admit that I was very impatient. Go ahead and ask my classmates. They know, because they had to put up with my constant snarling.

"What do you mean you're busy!" I yelled into the phone. Sou-chan continued to talk like there was nothing wrong, but he should have been a little more stressed than he sounded! He had an assignment due that night, and he hadn't even started! Damn bastard! After he hung up, I tried to call him back, but he turned off his phone! I couldn't believe him! For revenge, I decided to blackmail him, the number one source being his unattended, nearly open bag.

"Kio, Kio-san, don't go through Agatsuma-kun's bag," my classmates warned me. Oh ho, but I didn't listen! Ha! I'm basically his wife, so why shouldn't I go through his bag?

I found the strangest things in there. Sou-chan had a lot of pictures, probably fifty of them, in his bag. So, he had found himself another toy, and this one was a little kid! Actually, the kid was kind of girly-looking. The girls with me thought the little boy was cute, but I knew better. Sou-chan could not be trusted with a little virgin. After all, why pick on a poor little virgin kid when he has someone like me? So, just to make Sou-chan pay for turning off his phone so I couldn't call him back and being a cheating pervert, I stole the pictures.

Later that evening, Sou-chan finally came. I had never seen someone paint so fast before! He sat in front of his canvas all evening and painted almost non-stop. Luckily for his sorry ass, the professor accepted his work.

"But," he told me later, "my paints haven't dried yet."

"That's what you get for skipping out, you bastard," I scolded as I lit his cigarette. "What else?"

"Hm?" Sou-chan breathed deeply on his cigarette before letting out a small puff of smoke.

"The kid in the picture," I said hastily before I changed my mind about asking him. "Who is he?" Sou-chan just shook his head at me, like a parent scolding a misbehaving kid.

"I want to know!" I snapped. "I want to know who the little punk is in the picture!" Sou-chan brushed loose strands of hair behind his ear, and he took another deep breath of his cigarette.

"You shouldn't go through people's bags, Kio," he replied. "His name is Aoyagi Ritsuka. I'm saying nothing more."

That name again! The name of my Sou-chan's so-called 'master' was back with a new face: a sixth-grade, girly-looking boy who, like the Aoyagi before him, still had his ears. What is it about virgins that Sou-chan feels attracted to?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"Aoyagi!" I screamed. This was bad. Sou-chan was so submissive to the Aoyagis in the past. They would make him a dog again! "This is bad," I muttered as I slid to the floor in agony. My head hurt pretty badly when Sou-chan told me about Aoyagi Ritsuka. At first I thought it was from the heavy rain, but now I think it was from my fits of rage. "This sucks!" I yelled at Sou-chan. "You're getting drawn back in again!"

Suddenly it occurred to me. This kid has the same last name as Seimei. What if…

"Oh god," I cursed, "not Seimei's _kid_!" Sou-chan shook his head and gave me his look that said, 'Kio, you're so over-dramatic.' I get that look from Sou-chan a lot.

"Of course not," Sou-chan replied. "Seimei still had his ears, remember?" I shrugged and lowered my head to continue wallowing in my anger, but Sou-chan muttered a few words I don't think he meant for me to hear: "He's Seimei's little brother." Hah! I knew there was a connection somehow! Seimei had returned to haunt me, to tease me and mock me, but this time he came in the form of a sixth-grade boy.

"Sou-chan," I whimpered, "you're going to become enslaved by Aoyagi again. I hate it. I really, hate it." Sou-chan stood stiffly by the window, looking out at the rain. I think I hurt him a little. After all, the Aoyagi before Ritsuka was special to Sou-chan. But, Sou-chan hurt me, and he pissed me off. "I was glad when Seimei died," I growled.

"Kio!" Sou-chan snapped at me! I hadn't seen him pissed off before, and I think I pushed it.

"I'm saying it anyways!" I yelled back. "He shackled you, Sou-chan!" Soubi shrugged his shoulders.

"I was okay with it." There it was, the moment my argument was flushed down the toilet. After all that growling and screaming Sou-chan said he was _okay_ with Seimei's mastery over him! God, what can I do to get through to this guy!

"Well, I'm not!" I snapped. "I can never forgive him." Sou-chan sighed as he leaned against the wall and stared out the window. I know the rain's nice, but he could at least look at me when I'm talking. "If you're into that kind of stuff," I said, twirling my candy sucker between my fingers, "you could at least do it with me. If you don't I won't stop abusing you until you can't stand it anymore." Sou-chan shook his head, a small smile spreading across his face. Does he shake his head to toss his hair? See! He's totally flirting with me! He is into the kinky stuff!

"I'm not a pervert." That little phrase…that little, four-word phrase just about killed me! I almost lost my voice from screaming at Sou-chan so loudly. In fact, the professor threatened to kill us if we didn't go home. Ha ha ha! I'm kidding! Geez! But, he _did_ make a 'lovely' comment about my ears.

"Kio, those ears are too much," he said. "Don't add anymore. It's disgusting." Disgusting! He called my personal hobby, my stress-reliever, my attention-grabber disgusting!

"Awww," I whined as he walked away. "But they look cool, don't they, Sou-chan?" Sou-chan narrowed his eyes as he counted how many hoops I had on each ear.

"You added more," he said. Finally! Sou-chan had taken interest in what I had been doing for nearly two years to get his attention! I proudly brushed back my hair to reveal each glimmering hoop.

"I added two more," I grinned. "Now, I have seven on each ear!" Sou-chan's eyes suddenly changed. They had a dangerous look, a look of curiosity. For Sou-chan to be curious is a bad omen. It means he's plotting something perverted and creepy. "You interested?" I cooed, proudly displaying my earrings for Sou-chan to see. "I can give you a piercing if you want."

Hidden barely by strands of golden hair, I could see Sou-chan's ears. They were so beautiful and pure, untouched by a needle. I wanted to nibble on his ear a little bit, just to see what he tasted like. With ears like his, it would have been no problem. I pushed away the thin curtain hiding his ears and stroked them. So soft, like his hair.

"Look at these beautiful virgin ears of yours," I cooed. "You've never put holes in your ears before, have you?" Sou-chan gently pushed away my hand. He wanted me to stop touching his ear, but I just couldn't stop. It took all my self-control to keep myself from stroking his lovely ears.

"Not in my ears," he said, answering my question. Wha! Ooh! Where else does Sou-chan have holes?

"You pervert!" I grinned. "Where else have you poked holes?" Sou-chan patted my hair to calm me down. I wish he'd stop treating me like I'm six.

"Don't get so excited over that," he said. Aw man. I thought Sou-chan had actually become interested in my hobby. I thought he wanted a piercing party. (Don't ask unless you _want_ to know how my piercing parties go.) "Do you use a needle, Kio?" Huh? Sou-chan was still interested?

"No way," I said in my best professional tone. "That's too clumsy to handle. If you want a quick job, you use a piercing gun." Oh no. Sou-chan had that look again. He was definitely up to something bad! I caught the last few words of his thoughts.

"…even a kid could use it."

"GAH!" I cried. "Creepy! Creepy! You and that kid! Sou-chan! That'd be creepy!" But, did he listen? No. Sou-chan hardly listens to me when I tell him to do something. Instead he asked for my piercing gun. Would he actually make a sixth-grade virgin pierce him ears? Not even Sou-chan is that creepy…is he?


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Since I've only one week left before school, I'm going to post more chapters more often. This week I'll post two more chapters, and next week I'll post the final three chapters of 'Why'. I might post the first chapter of 'No, Kio' if I have the time. For now, enjoy the story and leave reviews if you like it. **_

Chapter 7:

After he said he was going out for a while, Sou-chan didn't come back to our apartment until nearly midnight. He looked like he was going to collapse from being overly water-logged. He waved me away, like he was some sort of prince, and went to bed. Damn, he can be really dramatic sometimes.

As I was picking up his wet clothes off the floor (I know, I sound like his wife, or something.), I found something hidden beneath his black shirt. Sou-chan had gone out and bought his own piercing gun. The packaging appeared to be undamaged, but it was dark, so I couldn't really tell if Sou-chan had used the gun or not. I assumed he had bought the piercing gun for me. I mean, mine was getting kinda old and the one he had looked brand-new. I didn't keep it. I set on his bedside table to let him know that I had found it, but I wasn't going to take it…unless he gave it to me _himself_.

I wonder. Did Sou-chan really pierce his ears? I tossed his clothes in the hamper, and dried my dampened hands on Sou-chan's blanket. I mean, he'd know I was there if I touched him with wet fingers. Kneeling beside his bed, I realized how peaceful Sou-chan looked when he slept. I knew he was really tired, because he forgot to take off his glasses. Oh, he's too much like a little kid sometimes.

I gently stroked Sou-chan's ear, feeling for a hole in his virgin skin. Well, I guess they wouldn't be virgin ears if he had pierced them. But, after a few minutes, I couldn't find any signs of a piercing, not one hole. While I wondered if Sou-chan had pierced himself somewhere else, my hand crept into his hair. Even when it was soaked by the rain, Sou-chan had soft hair. He smelled like rain and Seven Stars cigarettes. That smell always lured me to him. If Sou-chan had laughed in his sleep, I would have found myself beside him the next morning.

"Goodnight, Sou-chan," I whispered, stifling a chuckle. Even as I left his room and went to my own, I could still smell Sou-chan on my hands. His sweet smell, like incense, lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, when I was about half-finished with my latest candy sucker, I noticed something different about Sou-chan while he painted. His hair was the same shiny, blond color, and he was wearing glasses instead of his contact lenses. Then I saw them: a pair of pink butterflies on Sou-chan's _ears_.

"Sou-chan," I said, taking my candy out of my mouth, "you got your ears pierced! When did you do it?" I was shocked! I didn't find any holes in his ears the night before, so how did he get them now?

Sou-chan set down his paintbrush and looked at me. He had that glint in his eye I knew I couldn't resist. "You look good," I grinned, trying to resist falling to Sou-chan's bottomless gaze. "I mean, you look a little gay, but you look good!" Sou-chan smiled and adjusted his cigarette to keep it from falling.

"You're funny this early, Kio," he said. I glanced over at the digital clock we had finally agreed to buy since I started working. The green digital numbers read '6:30 AM.' Huh. I didn't realize it was _that_ early in the day. It certainly didn't _feel_ like 6:30 AM to me.

"I'm a morning person," I laughed. Wow! Sou-chan's never this excited in the mornings. He must be in a really good mood. He seemed to be proud of his new piercing. Although, he probably could have worn something else besides pink butterflies.

I've noticed that Sou-chan really likes butterflies. He's never told me himself, but it's really obvious. He has a pink butterfly ring, he paints butterflies, and now he's wearing pink butterfly earrings. I can understand. Butterflies are beautiful and small. I remember having a pet caterpillar when I was a kid and watching it grow into a butterfly.

"Sou-chan, you must really like butterflies," I smiled. "You're always painting them. And, you're really good at painting them." Sou-chan stopped painting and took the cigarette out of his mouth. He extinguished it in a homemade ash tray I crafted, and then he didn't look at me. He seemed to be _glaring_ at his painting!

"Butterflies," he muttered. "I hate them."

_**A/N: I'm not sure how clocks work in Japan, so the American digital clock is the best alternative.**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Hate them? Did Sou-chan really just say that he hated butterflies? There hasn't been a day I've known him that I haven't seen him wear or paint a butterfly. Even as I sat next to him, he was painting butterflies. It's official; Sou-chan's a liar.

"But you're painting butterflies right now," I said, staring out the window. There was a brightly colored butterfly resting on a blossom from our neighbor's over-grown hanging plant. It looked almost exactly like the one Sou-chan was painting. "Why do you hate them?" I murmured in a dreamy voice. "They're beautiful." Sou-chan continued to paint. At first I thought he was ignoring me because he didn't answer me for a long time.

"That's why I hate them," he replied. "They're so easily trapped and preserved like specimens." Geez! Sou-chan's cranky!

"That's not the butterfly's fault," I said. Sou-chan continued to paint, but he seemed more on-edge. Heh, my fault. Wait a second. The night before, I didn't feel any holes in his ears, and Sou-chan had a piercing gun with him. It's starting to make sense. "Did something happen, Sou-chan?" I asked, hoping to answer my questions. Suddenly, Sou-chan froze just as he was about to lower his brush for a long, purple stroke. I hit it right on the mark!

"Something did happen!" I grinned. "Tell me! Tell me!" Then, I understood. His words about a kid using a piercing gun, coming home late with a new piercing gun hidden beneath his clothes, my inability to find holes in Sou-chan's ears, they all added up! "Wait," I said, brandishing my candy sucker. "_Who_ exactly pierced your ears _for_ _you_?"

"Ritsuka." Sou-chan answered with no hesitation. I couldn't believe this guy! He was _proud_ that he had forced a little sixth-grader to pierce his ears! "Snap," Sou-chan continued, "just like that." Sou-chan is _really_ creepy.

"I can't believe you had little virgin kid pierce your ears!" I cried. "You're so cruel, Sou-chan! That poor kid's probably scarred for life." But, I don't think Sou-chan was listening to me. He seems to tune me out a lot, doesn't he? "I'm sick of spending time with perverts," I said bluntly. "I'm going to work." Sou-chan continued to paint. Damn, does he even listen to me at all!

"Have fun," he smiled. Good. He wasn't tuning me out completely.

"It's my new part-time job," I grinned. "I pose provocatively in the nude in front of a bunch of people!" Sou-chan picked up one of his little paint bowls and began swirling paint with his fingers.

"I'm sure you're good at it, Kio," he said almost mechanically. Frustrated, I clapped my hand down on his head.

"You're not interested in me at all, are you!" I growled. "You act like you have better things to care about!" Sou-chan just smiled and set down his paint.

"I wouldn't mind seeing you naked," he said. Wha! "You're a nude model, right?" My cheeks began to burn red as Sou-chan dipped his brush into his freshly-mixed paint. "I'd love to draw your body sometime." Ha! He's totally into the kinky stuff! I pulled my shirt open, stripping myself so he could draw me.

"Anything for you, Sou-chan!" I grinned. Sou-chan held up a hand to stop me.

"Maybe later," he said. Still a little disappointed by Sou-chan's postponing of our modeling session, I buttoned my shirt, and then I was off to work. As I hurried down the street, I wondered if Sou-chan would stop by to see me. Probably not. He'd be too busy playing with Aoyagi Ritsuka.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Not long after Sou-chan showed me his new jewelry, the professor told our class about an exhibition. I swear, almost the entire time he was glaring at Sou-chan. As he told us when to have our paintings done, he emphasized nearly every word. Damn him! Where does he get the nerve to pick on Sou-chan? I was too busy trying to restrain my anger that I didn't quite catch the part about one required piece of art. I didn't find out about this one required piece until later that night when Sou-chan was going to _begin_ painting his exhibition entries!

I had an easy time selecting a piece. While Sou-chan was sick and mourning, I painted a lot. I did lots of sketches. I needed something to do to pass the time, so I might as well hone my skills. I settled on a pencil drawing I slaved over called, 'Seven Stars.' I prize this picture above all my other pieces because it's a picture of my Sou-chan when he fell asleep on the couch with a lit cigarette in his loose fingers. Of course, when he woke up, I nearly threw a fit because I had to pay for most of the fee to get the sofa repaired. (When _is_ Sou-chan going to get a job!) I haven't showed it to Sou-chan, but he'll see it when we go to the exhibition.

By the time I had picked out six different drawings and paintings, Sou-chan had finished only one. The professor, he told me, required him to enter at least five.

"Here," I said, lugging a large basket into our makeshift studio. "I brought your midnight snack. At the rate you're going, it's going to be an all-nighter project." The basket I brought was full of candy and sweets. I knew which candies Sou-chan liked and didn't like, and it turned out he liked most of the ones I hated and vice versa. He smiled at the basket, but he didn't take anything. Oh well, more suckers for me.

"Do you have an onigiri box?" he asked. I was confused. Sou-chan told me he hated onigiri boxes. I nodded, and took one out of my stash of health food in the cupboard. After eating nothing but instant foods with Sou-chan during his time of mourning, I went nuts and bought tons of health food. I updated it often by taking out the old stuff and replacing it with new food. I didn't really think Sou-chan would find my stash and eat anything, but shortly after he started hanging out with Aoyagi Ritsuka, he started eating from it.

"I thought you didn't like onigiri," I said. Sou-chan inspected the box with his piercing blue eyes.

"I just wanted to know what it tasted like," he said, "I mean, _really_ tastes like." I grinned and jabbed my finger at the onigiri.

"It's good!" I said excitedly. "You'll like it. It tastes really good!" As Sou-chan opened his box, I settled on the floor beside him with a steaming bowl of instant Maruchan Ramen. I glanced over at Sou-chan through the steam. He had opened the box, but he wasn't as eager as he thought to try the onigiri right away. I smiled as he took a timid bite of onigiri and, satisfied by the first bite, take another larger bite.

"You've changed, Sou-chan," I murmured. Sou-chan set aside his snack and looked at me, his infamous 'Confused Look' on his fine, pale face.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's because you've been hanging out with that Aoyagi kid." Then, I was interrupted by Sou-chan's phone. I knew that ring tone; it meant that Sou-chan had email. Sure enough, he did. He seemed to have forgotten that we were having a serious conversation! "Hey, I'm not finished!" I cried as Sou-chan got up and walked over to the window.

Suddenly, Sou-chan froze in his tracks, as if he read something terrible. The way his shoulders stiffened was proof enough. I got up to see what scared him, but he wasn't scared. He started to laugh. His attempts to muffle his laugh were pointless, I thought. Just to yank his chain, I started to tease him, calling him a pervert and saying he was creepy. Sou-chan turned his face to me, a seductive glitter in his eyes.

"Yup," he purred. "I'm getting hard as we speak." Wha! Sou-chan was getting dirty email from someone! That's disgusting!

"You're sick!" I shouted. "Who's sending you dirty email? Let me see! Show me, Sou-chan!"

"Nope," Sou-chan said defiantly. He shoved me backward as he slammed the window shut. I beat on the window and cursed at him as he locked the window. He definitely didn't want me to see this one; all the better reason to snoop later.

"Hey, Sou-chan!" I growled. "Let me see! Sou-chan!" Sou-chan leaned on the balcony rail and tilted his face toward the stars. What was he thinking about? More ways to torture his new virgin pet? Ways to lead me on? God, I can never tell what he's thinking about! "Sou-chan! Sou-chan, let me see!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

By the time the art show rolled around, Sou-chan had finished five beautiful paintings in only seven hours. That's pretty impressive for Sou-chan to work that fast. The professor must have threatened him with something big. After about five hours of staying up with Sou-chan, I went to bed, but I had fallen asleep in his room. I don't know why I even went to Sou-chan's room in the first place. Maybe it was the smell that drew me to it. Whatever the case, I fell asleep in his bed.

The next morning, as I rolled over in my sleep, my hand landed on something that hadn't been there the night before. I opened my foggy eyes and glanced over at my hand. I rubbed my eyes, attempting to get a better view of my new bed guest. I fumbled for my glasses, and I shoved them on my face. My hand was on Sou-chan's hip! I gasped in surprise and scrambled to get out of bed. My feet got caught in the sheets and I fell to the floor. Trust me, I was sore for a while after that one. My head hurt the most, probably because my glasses were pressed against my face. I heard Sou-chan murmured in his sleep, and I sat up.

"Sou-chan," I whispered. Sou-chan had sat up, and he was rubbing his eyes.

"Did you sleep well, Kio?" he mumbled. Heh, Sou-chan was still half-asleep. He probably didn't even realize that I fell from the bed and that I was even there before he woke up.

"Yeah," I yawned. I heard the sound of fingers striking a lighter, and then the sweet smell of Seven Stars floated around the room. "It's kinda early for that, isn't it, Sou-chan?" Sou-chan exhaled, a small plume of smoke escaping his lips.

"We need to submit our work today," he said, a little less groggy that before.

The professor was very pleased with the drawings I brought in. I was a little disappointed that he disliked my portrait of Sou-chan, but he liked my other drawing I did of a girl I work with. She's very beautiful. In fact, her beauty rivals that of Sou-chan's. I was kinda disappointed that Sou-chan wasn't standing with me and looking at all my pieces. He stood back against the wall, contently smoking his cigarette.

When Sou-chan showed the professor his submissions, I stood by in case the professor got pissed off again. Sou-chan proudly displayed his paintings. I had already seen three of them, since I was awake when he painted them, but the other two I didn't recognize. The fourth one Sou-chan showed was a beautiful painting of a lily with beautiful blue butterflies. I told Sou-chan later that day that that one was definitely going on the wall in our apartment. The fifth painting, though, was of a person, actually of two people. On one half of the painting he had drawn me standing by the window with a sucker in my mouth and a sketchbook in my hands. The other half was a not-so-familiar face. Who ever it was still had her ears, and she was really young. Then, I realized that _she_ was a _he_. She looked exactly like Aoyagi Ritsuka! Damn, he looks _really_ girly!

The professor took our pieces and kept them in his office, promising to set them up for us at the exhibition. We were both excited to go. Sou-chan wanted to drag the Aoyagi kid with us. I had no complaints. As long Sou-chan didn't try anything kinky with him, I was fine with his coming.

But, we didn't attend the exhibition like we planned months before. The night before we were going to go, Sou-chan announced that we were going to Yokohama.

"But, Sou-chan, I wanted to show you my art," I protested, attempting to grab hold of his sleeve. I had been waiting for months to show my drawing to him, and now he wanted to go somewhere else! Sou-chan smiled and waved my hand away.

"I've seen your art," he said. "It's very beautiful, Kio." My cheeks burnt bright red again, like when Sou-chan told me he wanted me for a nude model. Had he really seen my portrait of him? I wanted to show it to him myself, not the other way around.

So, as Sou-chan had planned, we went to Yokohama. But, we ran into the _real_ reason why Sou-chan wanted to go in the first place.


	11. Chapter 11, Epilogue

Chapter 11:

Basically, Sou-chan dragged me all the way out to Yokohama just to spy on Aoyagi Ritsuka and his friends. Dammit, when will he ever take me somewhere just for no reason!

And so, I was stalking grade-schoolers all day. Sure, Sou-chan treated me to lots of snacks and drinks, but I have to give him an update on Ritsuka every time he comes back from something.

"Sou-chan, why don't you just go over there and play with Aoyagi?" I grinned. Sou-chan sighed and watched Aoyagi Ritsuka buy juices with his friends.

"I can't," he replied. "Ritsuka wants to make memories with his friends today." I took a sip of the beer Sou-chan had bought for me and watched the kids gather by the Ferris wheel. It's summertime. I really have nothing better to do than to hang out with Sou-chan.

While Aoyagi and his friends were trying to decide whether or not they would go on the Ferris wheel, Sou-chan murmured to himself a lot. When he said that the ride was scary, I called him a liar in my thoughts. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't scared of anything.

"He's checking his email," Sou-chan chuckled. "I didn't send you anything today." I set down my half-empty beer mug and put my hands on my hips.

"Sou-chan," I said, "you should just go up there and play with Ritsuka." Sou-chan shook his head and continued to watch the little sixth-graders.

"I can't rush things with him," he smiled. "I can go to him after he gets a good taste of what his life would be like without me." I can't believe this guy! He's torturing this poor kid just to teach him a lesson! Sou-chan can be so cruel sometimes.

"You're so mean!" I shouted. "Should you be doing something like that to a poor sixth-grader! You're such a pervert!"

"You're strange yourself, Kio." Sou-chan's really good at retaliations. "After all, you've been following me around yourself."

"Well, sorry if I—"

"It's okay, Kio," Sou-chan interrupted. "Thank you for coming with me. You're my best friend." I grinned and played with my candy sucker.

"You're welcome," I smiled. I glanced over at the Ferris Wheel. "Hey, Sou-chan," I said, tugging on his sleeve," they're getting off the ride now." Before I could even finish what I was saying, Sou-chan was already walking toward the trio. I rolled my eyes and followed after him.

"S-Soubi! What are you doing here!"

"You called me," Soubi smiled. The little boy, Aoyagi Ritsuka, blushed and tried to think of a comeback. The best he could spit out was, "I did…I did not!" I finally caught up with Sou-chan, and he was socializing with one of Aoyagi Ritsuka's friends, a tall, pink-haired girl named Yuiko. Actually, she's kinda cute. She looks about fifteen years old. Yay for me! But, for her to hang out with Aoyagi instead of me, she had to be much younger. Oh the sad, sad truth! I found out from Sou-chan that Yuiko-chan was only twelve years old. Too bad. She was really cute, too. Besides, she looked like she likes Ritsuka. A lot.

Once I came back from my thoughts, Sou-chan was holding Aoyagi Ritsuka's hand and asking him to go on the Ferris Wheel with him. That's what he wanted to do? That's why he dragged me all the way out to Yokohama! Sou-chan's such a weirdo.

Epilogue:

And so, my story comes to a close. Sou-chan…Sou-chan…dammit, I can't think of anything else to put here! Other than the fact that he's a pervert, there's nothing else to put here! Oh wait, I think I may have something. Hold on a second.

"Hey, Kio," Sou-chan says from the door.

"Yeah, Sou-chan?"

"I didn't know you were a writer. You're very good at it."

Oh crap.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading 'Why.' I'm sad it had to end, but I haven't read past volume 2. Maybe I'll continue it in a sequel after I read volume 3. There's more Kio to come in a new fanfic called 'No, Kio.' Hope you enjoyed this one!**_

**Preview from Chapter 1: Kio**

Hey, how come I'm the only one paying the rent! I deserve to treat myself once in a while. Sou-chan does that every day by slacking off until the last minute. So, I then decided that I would buy that little golden kitten that reminded me of Sou-chan. After all, I deserve it.


End file.
